Despite criticism, H-1B visa work does not trend cheaper

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Dive Brief:

Not all immigrant workers replace American workers because they’ll supposedly work for less money, reports The Atlantic. Foreign nationals with highly sought-after tech skills can earn as much or more than U.S. workers, especially those with H-1B visas.

The University of California, San Diego, and Dartmouth College released a new study showing that foreign workers in science and technology earn on average 94ȼ on the dollar, or slightly less than American workers. But after five years in the states, they earn $1.04 for every dollar Americans make.

The visa program was meant to help companies find workers with specialized skills, but opponents claim the program allows thousands of foreign workers into the U.S. to do the jobs Americans normally do, except for less pay. But many H-1B holders were educated in U.S. colleges, which kept them in the country a while, and landed high-paying jobs after college.

​Dive Insight:

Students from other countries outperform U.S. students in studying science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM programs. STEM specialization likely gives them an edge when applying for high-tech jobs.

Strong H-1B opponents, such as Jeff Sessions (R-IN), president-elect Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney general, introduced a bill to push up visa-holders’ wages to make them less desirable to employers. But that tactic might not stop companies, especially large corporations, that need specialized workers from seeking and hiring them.